


Reunion

by Neverforget94



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Character Death, Duty, F/M, Friendship/Love, Goodbyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 12:57:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4747271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverforget94/pseuds/Neverforget94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inquisitor is one of the main targets of the Qunari invasion, but their fight causes the reunion of two old friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> I still have no idea what I'm doing. I saw the trespasser dlc trailer and thought, "What if these two saw each other again?" They were very close in my play through. I have no editor and no beta, because I rarely write anything, so....yeah. Plus, I have issues with writing Sten. Love him, but can't write him. Gah. Anyways, here's this;

The moment their sword and dagger clashed, their eyes met. Hers widened in shock, and she shoved him a step back as the battle raged on around them. But then, her face crumpled into an expression of sorrow.

“We weren’t supposed to meet here, my friend.” she said, her voice tight.

A gust of air left her, too sharply exhaled to be called a sigh. His own breathing slowed as the familiar voice washed over him. A memory rose unbidden to him, and he was sure she recalled that conversation as well. Back when the blight had begun, and they had carved for themselves a small place of refuge. The fire had been behind him, and they had stood a little ways away from the others as they spoke.

_“And when that day comes, I will not look for you on the battle field.”_

_“And I the same to you.”_

He had warned her, so long ago, that they would come. She had accepted it readily, no judgement, and no hard feelings. Their friendship was on borrowed time, they both had known that. He had not wanted to meet her again after they had parted ways, because he knew that only one of them would walk away from the meeting.

His grip on Asala tightened, and he said, “I didn’t look for you, Kadan.”

“Nor I you, but it appears fate likes to play with us.” She said.

A ghost of a smile briefly appeared on her face, but then vanished as she slowly withdrew her other dagger out of its sheath.

“…you fought at my side once. We know each other. And we both know this will be over quickly.” She said as a heaviness settled in her chest.

He took a deep breath, beginning to focus. He couldn’t allow the past to color his actions now. But a part of him battled with himself. The woman who stood before him had allowed him to redeem himself by fighting for her. Sought out and found Asala when he thought he had been parted from Par Vollen forever. She had given him his life back, when he had done nothing to deserve it.

“This won’t be easy.” She then whispered.

He nodded without meaning to. “It won’t.”

There was a pause, as if the battle around them wasn’t happening. They stood for a few moments, and just stared at each other, like the day he had gotten on a boat to go back to Par Vollen. She was still a grey warden then, celebrated for her triumph over the archdemon. The cities in Fereldan invited her to banquet after banquet in her honor. But a Dalish elf had no business in ballrooms. So she had accompanied him to the docks, completing her promise to the Revered mother that she would take him back to his country. Or as far as she could go.

_“You could come with me. The Qun would welcome you.”_

_“And to be honest, I would probably welcome it. But no. There’s so much to be done here still. My duty is not over.”_

He had accepted her answer, even though he felt it was wrong. Even in his eyes, she had done enough. But she’d stay, as he knew she would. In all his time in Fereldan, he had only met one person who was worthy of joining the Qun. But what made her worthy is what kept her from it. He had boarded the ship and she stood on the dock waving. A mutual respect kept them from looking away and they had watched each other disappear into the distance.

And now, here they stood, saying goodbye once more. They were both older now. Changed. He was an Arishok now, having earned a new title. He had explained to her that he had no name a long time ago, so she only called him friend.

‘And to be called friend by her,’ he thought, ‘there is no higher honor.’

She, on the other hand, was more world weary. Her age was hardly visible, but her experiences hung over her shoulders like a shawl. No longer was she the young girl, little more than a child really, who had stopped the blight with nothing but her will. The woman who stood before him was hardened, cautious. If he was being honest with himself, she was now little more refined.

When she was young he had compared her to steel. Like steel, she only found her purpose through fire and pain. But now she could be compared to the completed blade, rivaling that of Asala.

Looking back, he could only wish he had tried convincing her to come with him a little harder.

They watched each other, and as if they both had been satisfied with what they saw, they each took a breath. The moment had passed. It was time.

They focused on each other and only each other. The battle around them didn’t exist. This was the best they could do, being caught on opposing sides of the war. This was the final honor they could give each other. At that moment, she wasn’t the warden he had followed, and he wasn’t an Arishok. They were equals, and one would die on the other’s blade.

She had never been patient he remembered. She, back then, had never waited for her enemies to attack first to observe them. No. She learned best in the midst of battle he knew. But this time, she waited. For him, she would. Eventually, when he realized that she was waiting for him, he gritted his teeth. She had started their first meeting. He guessed she wanted him to begin their last.

So he attacked, roaring as he swung at her from the right, her weaker side. With the speed he remembered though, she stepped out of reach and then began her own assault. Her fighting style was like dancing, the blades spinning around her body and cutting all who came near her. He parried one dagger and dodged the other, bringing his own blade down again in an attempt to end it quickly.

She wasn’t going to have that though, and disappeared in a black cloud. He quickly spun to look behind him, and raised Asala barely in time to stop the blade from stabbing him. Dark purple eyes flashed as she leapt away, and he followed after, his own focused only on her.

He slashed at her again, and followed up with sharp kick to her stomach. He could hear the breath leave her as she was tossed away by the force of it. His own violet eyes tracked her. He rushed forward and jumped up into the air to bring Asala down into a stab. She recovered before he connected though, and rolled away, jerking one of her blades across the back of his left leg as he landed. That would leave a mark.

She quickly rolled onto her feet and paused again, watching him. He would return everything she gave him, and did. They both fought fiercely, and each injury they gave each other seemed to make them even fiercer. And that’s how they continued their fight back and forth, each knowing how it would end. But they were drawing it out, because every moment they spent fighting was one more moment together.

One would die and one would live. That was how it would end.

They didn’t need words any longer. Every slash was an apology for the past. Every scar they gave each other was a request not to be forgotten. Every battle cry was their regrets. Hers for not leaving with him, and his for leaving in the first place. Every small cut, a reminder of a word they had never allowed themselves to say to one another.

But eventually, it had to end.

She leapt into the air, fully intending to bring her blades down upon his head, and in retaliation he lifted Asala as fast as he could.

Suddenly, with no preamble, it was over. Blood dripped down his face as he looked up with wide eyes. There she was, the warden. Covered in blood, dark purple eyes watching him, a small smile on her face, as beautiful as ever…with Asala pierced through her middle above his head. She was close enough to end him, he’d understand if she did. A self-sacrificing move he’d understand, they’d both go into the afterlife as equals. But no. Her blades dropped from her hands in defeat.

Once hand went to cover his hand on Asala, the other to caress his face. He was frozen in shock from her sudden fatal injury.

“Kadan…Why?” he asked, his voice barely rising above a whisper.

‘Why aren’t you taking me with you?’ he thought.

Blood was starting to trickle down the corner of her mouth as she spoke. And when she spoke, she surprised him once more.

 **“I could…never have killed you…my friend…My Kadan...”** but she knew he could kill her, and would. She had relied on that. 

Hearing her speak Qunlat was a shock he wasn’t expecting, and it snapped him out of his stupor. When had she learned? Why? Gently, trying not to cause her anymore pain than she was in, he lowered Asala and her to the ground, laying her on her right side. Asala was embedded too deep to remove from her without causing excruciating pain, so he would stay until she was in the next world. It was the least he could do. She, in turn, curled up around him, finding solace in the company. 

 **“Kadan…I never got to call you that before you left.”** She began, her voice as gentle as the first time she spoke to him through the bars of his cage. **“I didn't know what it meant then. But you were the only one I’ve met who’s earned that title, and one more.”**

 **“And what would that be?”** he asked quietly as her hand found his. She smiled at him, her breath becoming labored. Without meaning to, he squeezed her hand tighter.

'Don't leave.' he thought.

She switched back to common as she continued. “In my language…I’d call you _Ma vhenan_. It…means almost the same as Kadan. In common…it means…my heart.”  

The battle around them was beginning to fade into darkness for her. It wouldn’t be long now. She wouldn’t admit it, but death scared her. She should have died at the mirror. She should have died with the Archdemon. But she had evaded death both times. It was almost horribly tragic that while she feared those first two things even without the threat of death hanging over them, it had been a friend, her most trusted friend even, that killed her. But she didn’t hold it against him. She had been living on borrowed time for far too long.

 **“Thank you…for walking beside me…If anyone deserved to end my life it was you….”** she said, her grip on his hand loosening. Her eyes then closed, and she was at peace. She would not force him to watch the life leave her eyes, even though he wanted to see them before she faded away.

As her last breath left her, he could only sit in silence. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. Thank you for taking the time to read.


End file.
